06/11/2026
Fence board painting machine - v1
-o-matic
We build a lot of linear fences that require every board to be hand-painted and stained before installation. The problem? It’s incredibly time-consuming. On our last project, it took one person nearly three full days in the shop just to get all the boards coated.
So I borrowed an idea I found online.
I came across a board-painting machine that sells for around $5,000 and figured, with a good team and a little creativity, we could build something ourselves for a lot less.
Introducing the Board Painter 5000. 🚀
This is our first prototype, and honestly, it’s working surprisingly well. We’re still dialing it in—I’d like to experiment with different roller materials and maybe thin the paint slightly to improve consistency—but for a first version, we’re pretty impressed.
On our latest job, the crew was able to paint more boards in a single day than we could previously do in several days by hand. That’s a huge win for productivity and helps us keep projects moving.
There’s still some hand touch-up required afterward, but that’s all part of the process. The goal isn’t perfection on version one—it’s improvement. And so far, the Board Painter 5000 is doing exactly that.
We’ll keep refining it, testing new ideas, and sharing the results. Stay tuned to see what Version 2.0 looks like.
